Friday, September 02, 2016

Be responsive to public feedback

During the past decades, the government reply on letters to the newspapers for feedback from the public. They paid attention to the published letters and follow up with a reply. It reflected a government that is responsible to the feedback from the public and is working hard in the interest of improving lives for the people.

Much has changed in recent years. There is a proliferation of other channels for the public to give their feedback, especially in the social media.

The government agencies now often ignore letters published in the newspapers and the social media. Perhaps, they find it difficult to cope with the rapid growth in the channels for public feedback.

There is an opportunity for the government agencies to use this growth to its advantage. They are able to tap into the feedbacks to identify the problems that need to be corrected, to implement what can be done, and to be recognized and appreciated for responding to the feedback.

Here is how it can be done.
a) Appoint people to monitor the feedback in the social media
b) Give a reply in the social media to ask the person to call a specific person at a specific hotline
c) Take down the details of the feedback
d) Pass the feedback to a senior person who is authorised to act.
e) Give a reply to the person concerned.

This will give the impression of a government that is responsible to public feedback and is working hard to improve the lives of the people.

To value feedback need underlying motivations of1. We do not have all the answers.2. We respect one another views.3. We do not believe in an auto pilot approach where if it is not spoilt, don't change it. This autopilot approach presupposes an environment that is statics or a system that is robust enough to withstand the test of time.